The objectives of the proposed research are: 1) to demonstrate that a molecular template for an optically active isomer can be formed on a hydrogen-permeable, metal membrane catalyst and used to synthesize the specific, selected isomer; b) to show that such templates can be formed and used to carry out double bond placement with which specificity in complex organic compounds of biological interest; and c) to use this catalytic tool to devise simplified and reliable procedures for the synthesis of specific organic compounds of special biological interest, such as steroids and amino acids. The existence and utility of such templates for stereo-specific synthesis of simple compounds have been demonstrated in our laboratory, and patents have been issued. The apparatus employed in these earlier studies is available. The proposed research would be a multidisciplinary effort with active collaboration of specialists in catalysis, organic synthesis, and bio-organic chemistry.